


Holes in the Heart

by Adagal



Category: Skylanders (Video Games)
Genre: College, Gen, Homesickness, How Do I Tag, Loneliness, Origin Story, Ring of Heroes, but not really kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27877917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adagal/pseuds/Adagal
Summary: Eugenie's backstory as described by the Ring of Heroes revamp, but I make it longer and more unoriginal. enjoy!!
Kudos: 1





	Holes in the Heart

"Ready for your first day?" Mom asked. Eugenie sat in the back of the car, tugging on the sleeves of her hoodie.

"I dunno mom, couldn't I have at least skipped a grade?" Eugenie shrank in her seat as she saw the adults walk into the college campus. They were so much older than her, she was so less experienced than them. She wasn't going to make it out alive.

"It's going to be ok, Jeannie. It's not everyday a kid like you gets to skip the rest of their high school years and start college so young! It's the same place I even met your father, we have history here. And we paid good money to get you here. Try to make through your first day at least, ok?"

The door opened, as Eugenie reluctantly stepped out of the car, onto the first day of her new life. She waved goodbye to her mom, and the car pulled away from the lot.

The large lecture hall before her grew menacing as she walked up to it. One step up. Her heart pounded in her chest. Two steps. Her entire self felt numb. Three steps.

Eugenie fell to the steps, clutching her school bag to her chest. She couldn't take it. She wanted to leave so badly. Through her episode, she could hear the voices of incoming students, clearly speaking about her.

"Isn't that the kid who transferred here?"

"Yeah, she skipped three years of high school. The 15 year old adult, freaking out about the real world. Welcome to my life, you know?"

"Well, the 15 year old adult is about to miss class. Ironic, eh?"

Though Eugenie wanted to curl up even more on the steps, she snapped out of it as she remembered school bells were in fact a thing, and she ran up the rest of the steps into the lecture hall, ignoring the kids snickering at her as she ran.

The second she entered the building, the professor gestured for her to see him.

"I take it you're Eugenie?" he asked.

"Yeah," Eugenie whispered.

"Welcome to campus then, you'll like it here. I know it's a little scary, especially considering your young age, but you managed to get here because you were brilliant last year, and you'll be brilliant this year, you can handle it I know. Pick a seat and be prepared for your lesson, ok?" Eugenie nodded through the whole thing, staring off at the clock on the far off wall next to him. When he finished, she ran up to the farthest corner at the top of the room, and pulled her hood over her head, hoping no one would care to notice her now. She completed her first class of the day quietly, her face buried in the textbook.

After the rest of her classes, along with more hearing other students talk about her behind her back, Eugenie had another hour before her mom came to pick her up. She decided to spend the rest of it in the school library, at least she'd feel a little more comfortable there.

To avoid as many of the students as possible, Eugenie traversed to the library's basement, where no one dared to go, especially now in the middle of August as Eugenie realized. The basement's humidity was off the chain, but Eugenie didn't want to take off her hoodie, so she just grabbed the first book she could find, and sat down in a beanbag. The book was a mystery novel, which Eugenie didn't mind, any kind of fiction she enjoyed.

After half an hour, Eugenie snapped out of her ventures with the book as she heard her phone buzz. She picked up the phone and saw a text from her mom, saying she was in the parking lot. Quickly, Eugenie shoved the book into her bag, and ran out of the library to her mom.

"Hey honey, how was your first day?" her mom asked as Eugenie flopped into the passenger seat of the car. Eugenie was unable to respond, but part of her hoped her mom would see her misery and ask if they wanted to see if she could return to high school. Instead, the response was,

"Tired? That's ok, first days are always rough. Hey, I told your relatives about your accomplishment, they're all so proud of you! Oh, and your cousin's very jealous you managed to get so far already in school."

Her mom continued to blabber on about how she talked to all of Eugenie's friends and family about her venturing to university and how she was going to do well in her classes, but Eugenie couldn't care less as she started to braid a strand of her hair, just to give something to distract her from her mom's words.

She wanted to go back, she wished she'd never taken that exam in the first place. At first, she was excited about the opportunity of going to college and skipping high school, being able to achieve so much and hopefully get the career she'd hoped. But the closer the date got to her first day at the university, the more she realized how much she'd be leaving behind, and how much would await her. And now the day was here and gone, and Eugenie dreaded it like the devil.

The night went and passed, though to Eugenie it felt like it went on forever, as she laid in her bed, numb and restless. The next day was the same as the last, only this time she was forced to interact with a few other students for a back to school project. She hated it so much. She knew they were just trying to be nice to her, just because she was new and still a teenager, but she knew deep down, they all hated her for being so far ahead of them. College, though magical at first, now punched a hole into her heart, from the kids who almost envied her and whispering about her, to her parents who didn't even seem to care, praising how well she was adjusting to her new school and her classes, while not even bothering to see her face.

Every day after school, Eugenie made her way to the basement of the school library, grabbing a random book she hadn't finished yet, and getting lost in their fictional worlds, happy that for a fleeting moment, she could escape her own. It happened so often to the point the librarian had pretty much reserved the entire basement for Eugenie, amazed at the fact she could tolerate the heat and humidity of the summer down there. Yes, it was lonely, but at least it was a loneliness she could tolerate.

Another day eventually passed, another day Eugenie actually started to look forward to the school library.

"I restocked one of the shelves for you earlier this morning, I think you might find some books you'll like," the librarian told her when she walked in. Eugenie bowed her head a little in thanks, and started to walk down to the basement.

The second she headed down the stairs, the air around her felt colder. _The school didn't just input an_ _air conditioner, did they?_ she thought. The further she went, the colder it got, to the point she was hugging her arms tight, even with her hoodie on.

When she reached the basement of the library, she saw a blinding light replacing her normal reading corner, Eugenie assumed it was also where the cold wind was coming from. The closer she got to it, the more she felt entranced by its light, like it asked for her to stare deep into it. Obeying the light Eugenie kneeled on the ground and looked into the light.

From what she now gathered, it was actually some sort of vortex in the floor of the basement. Its wind wasn't strong, but strong enough to try and edge Eugenie along to jump in and see where it would take her. The air may have been freezing, but in the moment, it felt like a spring warmth had washed over Eugenie's face.

On one hand, she couldn't just leave her life behind like that. People would get nervous, her family might panic over not finding their daughter at school, the vortex may have even led to somewhere awful. But on the other hand, this could've been the real escape she needed so badly, a chance to possibly live like the characters in her books, maybe even make a real friend in this strange new world. Grasping tight to her belongings, Eugenie held her breath and took the plunge.

* * *

Eugenie couldn't feel much around her but warmth as she fell through the portal, but the next thing she knew, she felt grass on her face and body, the warmth of the sunlight over her. She opened her eyes to find a dragon staring over her.

A dragon? Eugenie yelped and scurried away on all fours away from the creature. The dragon saw her fright and sat down, trying to console her.

"Hey, I won't hurt you, I promise. But, who are you?" the dragon asked. Eugenie was speechless for multiple seconds, until she blurted out,

"You're talking to me." The dragon nodded, chuckling to himself.

"You're a Portal Master, aren't cha?" he now asked. Eugenie's eyes darted around the place.

"Uh, me?" The dragon nodded.

"I'm not sure." The dragon huffed, looking down at the ground. He then looked back up at Eugenie, and smiling, he responded,

"Let's go see Master Eon then!"

"Who?"

"You'll see."

Very slowly, Eugenie stood up, and followed the strange dragon to a majestic looking building, with various other people surrounding it. As soon as Eugenie and the dragon showed up, everyone stared at the two of them.

"Who's that?"

"Who'd Spyro bring?"

"Is she a Portal Master?"

Like it was second nature, Eugenie hugged her book bag to her chest, burying her head deeper down her hoodie. She was in this new world for not even half an hour, and it felt like everyone was already against her.

"Right this way," the dragon said to Eugenie, leading her through the doors of the building, where even more people and creatures were, staring at her.

"Master Eon? Hugo?" the dragon called. Almost like it was on cue, a small gopher like creature ran up to the dragon.

"Spyro! Why might you be ohmygoodness." The gopher stared Eugenie up and down, all the while Eugenie tried to avoid eye contact with it, looking instead at the bright red carpet she'd walked across moments earlier.

"You found a Portal Master?" The gopher beamed. Eugenie whipped her head back, doubling taking the gopher's words. The dragon, Spyro, looked up at her with an 'I Told You So' smirk. Eugenie could feel her face turning beet red.

"I'll go alert Master Eon!" the gopher cheered, pushing past crowds of people to a far off room. Eugenie clutched her bag tight to her stomach, nervous as to who Master Eon really was and what he might do to her. Before long, the gopher ran back to Eugenie and Spyro, a holographic, floating head alongside him. Eugenie's eyes widened, that was the last thing she expected.

"This is the Portal Master, Hugo?" the head asked. Hugo bounced up and down excitedly.

"It sure is, Master Eon! Now we have someone else who can help us defeat Kaos and the Darkness!" Spyro looked up to see Eugenie frozen in place from all the information. Eon seemed to notice that too.

"In due time, Hugo. Now, what might your name be, young Portal Master?" he asked.

"Uh, I'm Eugenie," Eugenie said, raising her head up. Eon bowed his head, smiling.

"Do not be worried, Miss Eugenie. I'm Eon, and you're in Skylands. You didn't show up here on accident, I can assure you. You were chosen to come here because of your courage and wit, the true powers of a Portal Master."

Eugenie chuckled nervously. "Heh, I wouldn't say I'm much of those things. I only came here because I needed an escape from my own life, and, you know..." She chuckled, but then realized this could be her own true adventure novel. A once in a lifetime opportunity, and she could take it at any moment! She took a deep breath, and eased up her muscles.

"But if you guys say I'm a Portal Master, I guess I am! And I'm happy to help out wherever I can!" Everyone cheered.

"If that's the case, then there's a bit to be done now. Follow me, child," Eon beckoned Eugenie to the room Hugo had previously ran into. Upon stepping foot inside, she saw the room was filled with banners of various symbols and colors, as well as a large glowing pedestal in the center.

"I can sense you have a great strength in you, that being wisdom. You read a lot, am I wrong on that?" Eon floated above the center of the odd pedestal. Eugenie nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, everyone tells me I'm too smart for my own good."

"Now why would they say that? Being smart is a wonderful trait to have!"

"Do they call you a nerd?" Hugo asked, wiping his glasses with his sleeve.

"No, they just say I'm lucky to be a 15 year old adult in the real world. Rather not get into the whole thing, honestly." Eon nodded solemnly.

"I understand. In any case, if you would like to brush up on reading material here, I would be happy to give you full access to the library here in the Academy."

"Wait. This is an academy? Like a school?" Eugenie looked around her. Now that she heard it, the building did look a little like some sort of school. And not too far off, there was, what Eugenie assumed at least, was the school library, packed to the ceiling (literally) with books. Eugenie couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"That would be amazing! Thank you!" Eugenie twirled around, clasping her hands together, having unconsciously let go of her school bag. Everyone else smiled happily at her.

* * *

Eugenie's new home in Skylands wasn't all bad. A new set of clothes was nice, and Spyro said her braided strand fit her well.

The clothes were really cool, like something a fantasy hero from one of Eugenie's books would wear. The boots, the dress and belt, the red scarf, she felt like a completely new person.

She practically lived in the library. She read up on all the books that she could find; history, biographies, magic scrolls, you name it. Some of the texts were so old, you could feel a thick layer of dust on them. It tended to flare up Eugenie's allergies, but she didn't mind much. She was just happy to be somewhere she didn't feel scared or cramped.

One day, Spyro walked over to Eugenie's regular spot to bring her something to eat. A mug of tea by her side, Eugenie was knee deep into studying how to amplify a Skylander's base attacks of any element.

"Hey, Eugenie? I brought you some food," Spyro said. Eugenie looked up from her book, smiling at Spyro.

"Hey Spyro, what's your base attack?" Spyro's eyes widened.

"Um, why are you curious?"

"I'm reading about a Skylander's attacks and how they can be amplified. If I can do that, that'd be one way I could really help you guys out!" Spyro saw Eugenie's eager face, and a plan formed in his head.

"Hold on, I have an idea." He ran off, leaving Eugenie extremely confused. She looked down at the small plate Spyro gave her. Bits of fruit on fluffy, warm bread. She licked her lips and grabbed a slice.

When Spyro returned, he'd brought a bunch of other Skylanders with him. They were of various elements and of various strengths.

"Um, why?" Eugenie questioned.

"What if you could help all of us at once? I'll even help you! You can analyze these guys, figure out their unique traits and strengths, and apply that to your learning!" Eugenie stared at the small crowd of Skylanders, then at Spyro.

"You sure?" she chuckled nervously.

"Yeah!" Spyro answered. "I believe in you, and again, I'll help you out! Start with me. I'll tell you whatever you need to know." Eugenie hesitated for a moment, but then she turned around, and whipped out a paper and pencil.

"Let's begin."

The next few hours felt a little tedious, but it was all worth it to Eugenie as she met each individual Skylander, learned their name and element, and their various traits and abilities that made them who they were. She wrote it all down on sheets of paper from her school bag, and by the end of it, the stack was almost as big as her own head. By the end of the day, she walked out of the academy with Spyro, content about what she learned.

"It's nice to finally be outside," she whispered to herself, shifting the small stack of papers from hand to hand.

"You won't pull an all nighter to go over this stuff and learn the magic for this, right?" Spyro asked. Eugenie laughed, shaking her head. But she totally was going to do that.

And after a few long days, Eugenie felt ready enough to finally test out her own new ability. She called Spyro to the training area of the academy, and asked him to do a simple fire breath. She wrote down how much damage it did, and how much damage it did once she cast her spell and enhanced his attack. She was pleased to know the difference was higher than she expected. Spyro cheered for her as well when she told him. And the next day, Master Eon gifted Eugenie with an interesting magical artifact in front of the academy doors.

It was round, and fit in the middle of her scarf. It glowed a dull blue once she wore it.

"This amulet will enhance your own abilities, Miss Eugenie, and you will be able to maximize any Skylander's ability at your will. Use your power wisely, as always, and do your best. Congratulations, Eugenie, you are now a true Portal Master."

Eugenie squealed and spun around happily. Looking through the crowd of Skylanders, they all clapped and cheered for her. It was a nice sensation to Eugenie. For once, she felt like she really had friends in a strange new place, where she initially felt she didn't fit in. Who cared about learning about college level maths, here the holes in her heart felt like they were finally filled up, seeing the faces of those who believed in her, who knew she could succeed no matter her strengths.

Though Eugenie was far from where she once belonged, she still felt like she was finally at home.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry im so cringe yall


End file.
